Stiffener for attached collars



May 30, 1933. B. MILBURN 1,911,638

STIFFENER FOR ATTACHED GOLLARS Filed Dec. 11, 1931 INVENTOR. fier/ yfiflbum ATTOR'NEY.

Fatented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES BERRY MILBURN, OF COLUMBIA,MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB T OARMAN & CO. INC., OF

PATENT .OFFFICE NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK STIFFENER FORATTACHED COLLARS Application filed December 11, 1931. Serial No.580,248.

My invention relates to stifieners for attached collars and particularlyto stif'feners to be used by laundries, when packing shirts havingattached collars for delivery, for preventing the front of the collarsfrom becoming wrinkled.

An important feature of my device is that no complicated cutting diesare required for and no trimmings or scraps result from its manufacture.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention I haveprovided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which areillustrated in the accompanying drawin wherein Fig. l is a fragmentalperspective view of a shirt showing my device in position.

Fig. 2 is a face view of my device.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my device, showing the same ready forplacing in position in the shirt. i

Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective view of my device when made in rollform.

Referring to the drawing in detail:

1 represents a strip of relatively stitt lexible material, preferablypaper as this is cheaper and least liable to injure the shirt. Parallelto and adjacent one of the longitudinal edges I out a plurality of slitswhich are all the same. distance from the edge of the strip and havetheir ends longitudinally spaced from each other. Intermediate the endsof each of the slits 2, I cut lateral slits 3 which extend from theslits 2 to the edge of the strip 1 and are preferably arranged at rightangles to said edge, thus forming integral rectangular tabs 4 which areconnected to the body portion or stiffening member 5 of the strip 1 bythe portions of the strip between adjacent ends of the slots 2.

It will be noted, especially from Figs. 2 and 3, that the corners of thetabs are relatively sharp so that the corners and edges r of the tab 4adjacent the body portion 5 will frictionally engage the shirt fabricand prevent accidental disengagement ot' the. stiffener from the shirt.

In order to facilitate the outward bending of the tabs 4 score lines 6may extend across that portion of the material joining the tabs 4 to thebody portion 5.

The stiffeners are preferably furnished to the user cut to length andflat as shown in Fig. 2. In order to bend the tabs the user takes astrip and holds it on edge with the outer edges of the tabs resting on atable top; he then pushes the strip from him and at the same timepresses downward. This will bend all of the tabs outwardly at the sametime.

The manner of positioning my device is as follows:

The shirt 7 having been laundered and folded as in Fig. 1, the bodyportion of the stiffener is bent arcuately as shown in Fig. 3 whichleaves the tabs 4 extending outwardly and at an angle to its convexface. The body portion 5 is so bent that it and the tabs 4 will readilyenter the neck band 8 ot' the collar 9. The body portion 5 is thenreleased and its inherent flexibility will cause it to have a tendencyto straighten or lose its arcuate shape, thus forcing the tabs 4underneath the bosom 10 of the shirt and when in this position the edgesand corners of the tabs adjacent thebody portion will trictionallyengage the under face oit the bosom, thereby preventing accidentaldiseugagement of the stiffener from the shirt.

Where the user requires stifieners of varying lengths I furnish mydevice in roll form from which the desired lengths may be readily cut asneeded. This form is shown in which'the stiffener consists of a lengthystrip 11 of flexible material which is divided into a body portion 12and tabs 13 by means of slits 14 and 15 as previously described. Thestrip is then formed into a roll 16, from which the desired length maybe out.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that my device can bemanufactured cheaply and with no waste; also that it can be quicklyplaced in position in the shirt without any danger of mussing the sameas there are no parts to be inserted under the collar points or attachedto the top button, and that it will support the front of a collar insuch amanner as to prevent its points lar stiffener from being bentoutwardly during the packing of the laundr bundle.

It will be note that I have devised a colrovided along one edge with aplurality of substantially rectangu 'ar tabs integrall connected theretointermediate their en s.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A collar stifiener comprising a strip of fiexible material having aplurality of gitudinally spaced slits formed therein parallel to andadjacent one of its longitudinal edges and having lateral slitsextending from said first mentioned slits intermediate their ends tosaid edge, whereby a body portion having a plurality of integral tabs isformed.

2. A collar stifi'ener comprisin a stri of flexible material having aplura ity of ongitudinally spaced slits formed therethrough parallel toand adjacent one of its longitudinal edges, and having lateral slitsformed therethrough, said lateral slits extending from a pointintermediate the ends of the longitudinal slits to the adjacent edge ofsaid strip, thereby forming integral substantially rectangular tabs andscore lines connecting adjacent ends of said longitudinal slits.

3. A collar stiffener comprising a strip of flexible material having abody portion and a rectilinear row of slits along one edge and havinglateral slits extending from said edge to the first named slits formingtabs integral with the body portion having inner corners spaced from thebody portion when the connections between the tabs and body portion arebent at an angle to the bod portion and the body portion is bent to orman arc.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

BERRY MILBURN.

